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Topic: Queen quick release (Read 1664 times)

I have a Nuc that has been Queenless for over a week. Can I do a quick release or do I have to put her in a Queen cage and let them release her. I'm taking her from another hive and putting her into the Nuc. I was planning on using a Queen catcher and then releasing her that way.

Thanks for the info everyone. The reason why I wanted to do a quick release is because I'm starting a new job Monday and I will be going home only on the weekends. My fear is to discover her dead still in her box when I get back. I can't check on her in a couple of days to see if she's been released. I guess I could take some of the candy out so it's less effort for the workers to get to her.

Just because they've been queenless longer does not mean they are more accepting of a queen. They are the most accepting in about 12 hours of queenlessness. As time goes on and some workers start getting ideas about being queens, acceptance goes down.

Queens can stop laying for a variety of reasons (could be defect or injury, but one of mine just started laying again after a 2-week break for the dearth) giving the appearance of queenlessness to a hive that will gladly kill your new queen if she is direct-released.

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The bees would be no help; they would tumble over each other like golden babies and thrum wordlessly on the subjects of queens and sex and pollen-gluey feet. -Palimpsest